Tag Archives: Khana Khazana

This is my version of the popular sauce (ragu alla Bolognese) that originated from Bolgna, Italy. Traditionally this is made with beef mince but my version uses lamb mince. The recipe is a variation of many recipes that I have tried earlier and it incorporates the best of both worlds – knowledge derived from expert chefs and my own unique ‘genius’!

Without further ado I present my version of a dish that is easy, delicious and a great prelude to a romantic night.

Ingredients

500gms Lamb mince

2 Medium Onions, finely chopped

6 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

1 Glass of Red Wine (any decent, cheap red will do)

2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (optional)

½ tsp Dried Rosemary

¼ tsp Dried Thyme

1 tsp Dried Oregano

3-4 Fresh Basil leaves (optional)

8-10 Medium Tomatoes

2 Green tomatoes, chopped (optional)

Salt to taste Parmesan / Cheddar Cheese

Half a packet of spaghetti

2-3 tbsp Olive Oil

Procedure

Boil water (approx 500 ml) and throw in the tomatoes. Let them boil until the skins begin to peel off. Remove the tomatoes from the water. De-skin the tomatoes and blend into a thick puree.

Heat oil in a pan. Throw in the dried rosemary and thyme. Fry for around 1 minute or until slightly brown (do not burn)

Add the chopped onions and garlic. Fry until they turn soft.

Add the mince. Fry for another 4-5 minutes until it just changes color.

Add the wine and balsamic vinegar. Cook on high flame until the gravy is reduced to nearly half.

Add the tomato puree and chopped green tomatoes. Season with salt. Bring to a boil.

Cover and let the sauce simmer for approximately 30-40 minutes or until the mince is cooked. This is your bolognese sauce – simmering gently waiting to be done and gently put over steaming spaghetti!

Boil some more water in another pan. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and some salt to this. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water as per the instructions on the pack.

When the spaghetti is done, drain and keep aside. (Ensure that you do not make the spaghetti too early as it will dry up really fast)

Tear the basil leaves and mix them into the bolgnese sauce.

Make a bed of spaghetti on the serving plate. Put a generous amount of the bolgnese sauce on this.

I was so delighted with my recipe that I had my son make it the following night. It was successful. I polished off two glasses of good Indian wine in celebration of this wonderful dish. Dim the lights, serve this to your beloved in a nice white plate, with a glass of wine, soft candle-light and even softer music. A fresh salad on the side will be great but not essential.

This is an amazingly simple recipe that I have adapted from an original mutton recipe. It is easy to make and is truly delicious. It tickles the palate and gets the digestive system really stimulated (in a good way!)

A word about ‘Bhunao’ : This method implies continuous stir frying of masalas on high heat, stirring briskly and without diverting your attention to other insignificant worldly matters! It is a vital part of most Indian recipes – a method that gives the spices a slight ‘toasted’ flavor. It is also very simple, needs only your undivided attention and a strong hand!

Given the price of onions I feel a sense of guilt suggesting this but fresh chunks of onion, whole green chillies sprinkled with generous amounts of chaat masala, kashmiri chilly powder, chopped mint and lemon juice are a brilliant side to this dish.

I would love to have this with a glass of good chardonnay. But the doctor has asked me to stay off wine for a while as he suspects a wine allergy. So it’s just buttermilk for now!

First it was my father-in-law’s closely guarded secret – Yusuf’s Kate Masale ka Gosht. This time it is my mother’s secret recipe that I have tried to re-create here. I cooked this for lunch and well, it came close to her brilliance!!! The missing ingredient was perhaps a mother’s love! This recipe is a tribute to the selfless caring and unconditional love that will need many lifetimes to partly reciprocate.

A 'gujju' favorite!

This is a recipe that is found in most gujarati thalis or gujarati weddings. The version here is much lighter and less sweeter than most gujarati homes. If you wish to replicate the sweet gujarati flavor add more oil and a greater quantity of sugar!

Flat Beans or Papdi

Some of the ingredients are usually seasonal (particularly the flat beans (papdi) and yam (kand). These can be replaced with a different variety of yam and similar beans. The authentic recipe also features fresh garlic (kachcha lehsun) but for the sake of convenience I have used regular garlic cloves. If you do find fresh garlic make sure you reduce the quantity as it can get very, very strong!

Cold Chaas (buttermilk) with freshly roasted, ground cumin and salt is a great accompaniment with this meal. To make it even more rustic take some fried green chillies and lumps of jaggery with this meal. It is recommended that you schedule a siesta after this meal as you are sure to feel drowsy after a sumptuous gujju meal!

This is a recipe that my father-in-law Yusuf Husain has perfected. It is his secret recipe – one which he rarely shares with others! Even if he does share it you can be sure that he will leave out some important detail. I have ‘cracked’ the recipe after many unsuccessful attempts and after much cajoling. It was cooked last night and everybody loved it. Yusuf saab approved of the preparation and finally welcomed me to the family secret!

Seal the vessel. Cook for approximately 45-50 minutes on low flame. In case you are using a pressure cooker, wait for 3 whistles and then let the meat rest while pressure is totally released from the cooker.

Open the lid and you will see that onions are totally liquefied and the meat has been simmering in the liquefied onions.

On medium heat sauté the meat until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Reduce heat and add yoghurt. Mix well. Cover the vessel once again (not under pressure) and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the meat is totally done.

Let the meat rest for at least 15-20 minute before serving.

This is perhaps one of the most delicate, delicious and wholesome meat recipes I have come across. The cooking of meat in the onion gravy is the key to a successful result.

You can also follow the same recipe for Kate Masale Ka Chicken. With chicken you have to be careful that you do not overcook and that onions, ginger and garlic are chopped into smaller pieces to allow the onion gravy to form faster.

The red chillies and browning of the onions lend this dish its distinct reddish color. Excessive browning will make the dish very dark and some people prefer it that way. You can add approximately 1 tbsp roasted and roughly pounded coriander seeds after adding the yoghurt. This adds a little extra bite but many people do not enjoy the distinct coriander flavor. Try it or give it a miss, but this is one recipe that you must try!

Enjoy this with rotis, naan or steamed rice. I prefer devouring this recipe without any of these!

So simple. That is what I love about this dish. Quick, attractive, delicious, light and great with hot phoolkas. You can sprinkle lemon juice on this before serving.

Since my mother is unable to tolerate spicy food my recipe does not include red chilli powder and coriander powder. You can add these along with turmeric powder. I still prefer the masale-free version.

Keep the pan covered and let the mutton rest for approximately 20-30 minutes before serving.

The totally authentic Kashmiri preparation includes the very Kashmiri ingredient mawal (dried cockscomb flower) heated with around 1 cup water. I was unable to find this in the market and hence omitted this. The recipe was a huge success last night. We had our friends Mukul and Shalini over from Delhi. Lots of the excellent Sula Dindori Shiraz and then sumptuous Rogan Josh with simple steamed rice. Wonderful meal that was completed by some amazing gazak that my father-in-law had ‘procured’ from Lucknow. Mazaa aa gaya – kasam se!

Fry onions and garlic for 7-8 minutes until they turn soft and transparent.

Add the eggplant and fry until it gets coated. (Approx 5 mins)

Add the green peppers. Cover and simmer for around 10 minutes. Let the eggplant ‘sweat’ and stir to ensure that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Add the tomatoes, zucchini and salt. Cover and simmer for 30-40 mins.

Add herbs. Simmer for another 10-15 mins.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

This is my variation of this French classic. Simple, delicious and wholesome. Best with garlic bread, pasta or wild rice. The dish is also very healthy and great for a diet. Serve with your favorite wine. Bon appétit!

Cook the mutton under pressure on low heat for around 4-5 whistles (depending on the tenderness of the meat).

Wait for all the pressure to be released, then open the lid.

Add chopped fresh coriander and mix.

While I enjoy subtle flavors and aromatic cuisines, this Mutton Kolhapuri was a welcome change. There is nothing subtle or gentle about it but it is simply delicious. You can use the Kolhapuri masala for chicken, vegetables or paneer but I think the robust flavors come out best with red meat. Eat this with the traditional Maharashtrian bread bhakri or the sinful, deep fried wada. As usual I prefer it with my staid, slightly crisp phoolka.

Jowar Bhakri

Cooked this mutton kolhapuri for my wife last night. I was showered with a lot of rekindled love, affection and a much needed foot massage. Maybe it was the poppy seeds! Or the excellent new wine from the Dindori region of Nashik. This region produces some excellent grapes and the wines from here are excellent. Sula Dindori Reserve and Chateau d’Ori are two brands that use grapes from this region. While the Sula Reserve is truly the pick of Indian wines, this new one is also quite good. Cheers!

Put the dals,potatoes, pumpkin and white marrow (lauki) in a pressure cooker. Add water, salt and a pinch of asafoetida.

Cook under pressure for approximately 3 whistles. Let the dal rest.

In a pan heat some oil. Fry the onions until light brown.

Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Fry until golden brown.

Add the red chilli powder and coriander powder. Fry for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato puree. Cook until the oil separates from the masala.

Open the lid of the pressure cooker after ensuring that all the pressure has been released.

Add the masala paste to the dal. Mix well.

Cook on medium flame mixing continuously and until the dal acquires a thick, smooth consistency.

Sprinkle the garam masala powder. Add lemon juice. Mix well.

Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Let the dal rest for approximately 10-15 minutes before serving.

Let me make this clear to all purists – THIS IS NOT AN AUTHENTIC DHANSHAK RECIPE. This is my own recipe for the wonderful parsi dish and it has been very, very successful with family and friends. I also blend the dal sometimes to get a smoother, creamier texture. This is unnecessary according to me and is a very ‘sissy’ thing to do. You can cook different vegetables like brinjals, okra along with the masala to create your own variation. Also try adding kidney beans, chick-peas, bengal gram which have been soaked overnight to the dals. Cooking times might vary.

For the non-vegetarians – you can also cook chicken or lamb with the masala. Add some salt and water to cook the meat. Continue cooking until the meat is nearly done. Add this to the boiled dals and follow the same procedure from 10-13.

You can garnish the dal with fried onions, chopped coriander, mint, boiled eggs and/or fried eggs! You can also top the dal with some fresh cream or butter to make it richer. The important is to try different things and create your own delicious concoction.

Serve with caramel rice or steamed rice. I prefer soaking my phoolkas in the dal and chomping a green chilli and onions on the side!